The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1887-04-07
POPULATION AND FOOD.
REPUTATION OF THE ARGUMENTS
OF A MODERN MALTHUS.


In Almost Every Country There Is Food
to Spare-Why MaitIlus' Doctrine IL no
Longer Plausib;c-The Earth'a Eood
Producing Capabilities.
The current number of The Forum con-
tains a sprishtly article by Thomas ~. Knox,
entitled STANDING Room Only" 1t shows
that several countries III the world contain so
many people that they can scarcely walk about
without joytlmS each other. For example,
the statement is made that Java has :;9S i'll
Eabtants to tho square mile, Japan 25i, Italy
2iG, Belgium 4S1, and tho Netherlands 3l3
The author then states that there is hardly
country whose population is diminishing,
while that of most countries is increasing
with wonderful if not with alarming rapi,li:y.
This Increase of population is largely due to
the absence Of wars and better sanitary con-
ditiOnS.
Mr.. Knox thinks that it is time 10 study
the philosophy of MaltAns, who held that
population, unchecked, increased in gconct-
rical ratio, while food can only be made to
increase in arithmetical ratio. He also argues
that checks Oh population are absolutely
necessary. and claims advantages for war,
pastilence, famine and most Of the dcstructi se
vices. He states that fow of tho countries in
which there is standing room only" can Pro-
duce food enough for the Inhabitants, and
Slows by official census tables that tho num-
Der of these countries is increasing very
rapidly. He predicts that our own will Ec
added to the list OF overpopulated countries
in 10 very distant future. At present few of
tho original thirteen states produce food
enough to supply all the inhabitants. The
line that divides the states that do not pro-
duce food enough for the people from those
that do is constantly moving farther west
NO CAUSE FOR ALARM
This modern Nautilus has no cause for
alarm. IN almost every country iii the world
there is food enough and TO spare. In nearly
every land food producers are discouraged
by overproduction. At one time farmers
found no fault with prices, but complained
because they could raise but little. Now they
complain Of low prices, and find fault because
SO much is produced. English papers stale
that there was never a time in the history OF
the country when days wages would pur-
chase SO much food During last year sugar
sold for penny pound, and many farmers
used it as a condimcnt or food for cattle and
pigs. Fresh herrings sold in London markets
for halfpenny each, and the poorest labor
CTS avs Nllltc Uic'ut, Oldlls,eS uIlu DdtlliltlS.
During several months small fruits were SO
cheap that they commanded only nominal
price, and some farmers and gardeners used
tlem to fertilize their land. One vessel
brought 10000 carcasses OF frozen mutton
from one of the Falkland islands, where it
was bought for a Jenny pound. Two steam
ship companies paid penny bushcl for the
privilege of carrying wheat in bags from
American to English ports, SO that tho grain
Of civilization was cheaper in Liverpool than
in Baltimore. The price Of farm products is
SO low III Great Britain that the owners of
several large estates declare that thoy can re
alize moro from them as game preserves than
as cultivated farms.
The truth is, the doctrine of Malthus is an
exploded humbug. 1t was plausible theory
at the time he wrote. but tho introduction of
machinery on farms, the use of steam in aGri-
culture, the improvement III breeds of ani
mails, the utilization cf products formerly
wasted, the new methods Of preserving fruits,
vegetables, meat and fish, and last, but most
tho increased speed of vessels and the low
rates for carrying all kinds of articles intended
for food, have produced q revolution and de
stroyed the philosophy of the pessimist Of The
dinner table. We hoar OF coal famincs and
water famines, but there are no food faminea
anywhere, and there is no prospect of any.
FOOD PRODUCING CAPABILITIES.
We have hardly begun to test the food pro
ducing capabilities of the earth. A German
Traveller declares that Siberia is capable Of
producing grain enough to supply all western
Europe with bread. An English authority
states that wheat was worth but ten cents q
lbuslel in the interior of Asiatic Turkey last
year, and that many farmers did not find it
Ill 20 +I,,,.,. Gol,I
of Hayti is scapable of producing enough yams
and bananas to feed q, ,OO0, 600 people Hardly
any portion of Africa except the narrow val
! ley OF the Nile has been brought undor culti-
| vation. But all insignificant part of Aus
| tralia has been devoted to the production Of
! food. South America, III the opinion of
Humboldt, is the grand division Of the earth
capable OF producing the most food; still u
large portion of it remains unexplored, and
/ no good farming is done in the parts that
have been longest settled. 1t could bc madc
! not only tic Cranary bus the stock yard for
supplying Europe with food. Wild cattle
arc almost as plentiful there as rabbits arc in
/ Australia, and thousands Of them are killed
! every year for their hides and taliow. Sheep
arc raised with scarcely any care, and pigs
turnct into the forests become fat on nuts and
| wild fruit. No believer in Malthusian phi
osorhy ever visited South America
BY selecting breeds of animals that mature
carly, and constantly supplying them -. b
suitable food, steers arc made To weigh as
| rauch when they are thirty months old as they
formerly did at twice t.at age. By tho gen
! cral Introduction of the silo tho beef and
! lutton production os this country could he
doubled, even il more land was devoted to
raising fodder crops Our countryman, Seth
| Green, originated the expression water farm
ing" md demonstrated that an acre Of water
| was capable OF producing as much food as all
acre of land. Experiments show that German
carp can be raised at about half the price Of
the cheapest meat. and the prospect is tina,
most OF our small lakes and artificial ponds
viii soon be utilized for the production OF
food the same as they are in China and Japan.
| Food producers everywhere arc crying for
more mouths to feed, so that they can get q
better price for what they raise. But :ha
prospect is that the cost Of nearly every kind
Of food viii continne TO decline, even IL the
| population Of the earth is doubled.-Chicago
| Times.